Neurotization of the phrenic nerve with accessory nerve: A new strategy for high cervical spinal cord injury with respiratory distress

Abstract

The prevalence of high cervical spinal cord injury has been rising and the life quality of these survivors remains poor. Even though mechanical ventilation prolongs their lifespans, the complications of mechanical obstruction and infection always perplex the doctors and patients. While phrenic nerve pacing was developed to improve the survival quality of them and have an analogous negative pressure mechanism. Herein we postulate that a potential physiological respiration may be resulted from neurotization of the phrenic nerve with accessory nerve. Once the potential strategy can be succeeded in the clinical application, patients will acquire remarkable survival profit.